The Fight For Illea
by Rose.194
Summary: Maxon and America have had their children and now it is time for their son, Sebastian's selection. Sofia never thought that she'd be one of the 35 girls selected. However the people of Illea are angry, they want the crown to feel their pain. The streets will run red and blood will pay for blood.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One:

I was putting the finishing touches on my final room of the day when The Capital Report came on the tvs throughout the hotel. I didn't need to turn up the volume to know what it is about. The Selection for Prince Sebastian started in two weeks. Our letter's arrived early this morning and Aunt Mary decided that I was to sign up, whether I liked the idea or not. That is why I had taken my time with rooms today. I wasn't excited about the selection purely because I didn't get to make the choice myself. Aunt Mary came upstairs and told me to follow her, that we were going shopping because I needed a new dress. My clothes were definitely not to her liking.

Not wanting to spend a second more with her than I had to. We made a compromise, she would go pick me up a new dress while I stayed home to fill out my selection form. Much to my relief, both my Aunt and Uncle left to buy a dress, that I was sure we couldn't actually afford.

My family had been in the Hotel business my whole life. After the dissolution of the caste system, my family no longer had the status of eight's and we opened our hotel. By "we" I mean my Aunt and Uncle. After the King and Queen finally dissolved the Castle system there was a violent transition. Fights broke out between the higher castes and the lower castes, my parents were killed in those fights and I was sent to live with my Aunt and her husband. I've worked for them ever since, being one of their housekeepers.

I sat down to fill out the application. It was very basic, asking me about my special skills, my weight, and to my shock, whether or not I'm a virgin. I had two special skills: medicine and dancing. Would other applicants have more special skills than this? Should I lie? After a brief moment of contemplation, a decided on leaving it the way it was. What were the chances that I got picked anyway?

When my Aunt arrived home she dragged me upstairs and squeezed me into a dark blue dress. It only fell to my knees as the pictures only showed the upper half of our bodies. I slipped on the only shoes that I have, my beat up sneakers, and followed my Aunt and Uncle down to the picture station.

My Aunt turned and glared at me. She grabbed my arm, digging her nails into my arm "I know you aren't the prettiest or the brightest girl but you better get up there and smile like you've never smiled before. We need the money and it's the least you can do for mooching off of us for all these years." I ripped myself out of her hold, rubbing my sore arm. It was already bright red and I knew it would bruise. Of course, this was just what I needed today.

The guard called my name and I made my way to the stool. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a mother pick up her crying daughter and rock her gently, wiping the tears from her eyes. The picture of the two of them together made me think of my mother singing to me every night. A bright smile made it's way into my face and the photographer snapped the photo.

The next two weeks passed with a flurry of activity. All too soon it was time for The Report, the one to announce the girls selected. I gathered with my Aunt Mary and Uncle Derek as the introduction song played to The Capital Report. The king appeared first and gave the briefest

Update on the current state of Illéa.

After what seemed like a year the Master of Events, Garvill came out onto the stage and shook the King's hand.

"Good evening, Your Majesty," he gave a slight bow and motion for them both to sit.

King Maxon was nearly jumping out of his skin in excitement, "Garvill!" He greeted brightly. "I have to say you were looking better when we were getting ready for my selection!" Garvill didn't seem the slightest bothered by the King's comment as spirits were definitely high in the room.

"Well, King Maxon you will be happy to know that your appearance hasn't changed much!"

"Well, thank you Garvill!" King Maxon laughed, "now before the anxiety gets too much for us all, why don't we get my family out here and announce the girls!"

"I couldn't agree more!" Garvill looked right into the camera. "Ladies and Gentleman without further ado The Royal Family. Queen America, the man of the hour Prince Sebastien, Princess Addilynn, Princess Ophelia, Prince Matthew, and Princess Mia." The royal family came onto the stage one at a time as their name was being called. They each took a seat, one right after another except for Prince Sebastian who took a seat on the other side of Garvill.

"Now before we get down to the good stuff," Garvill smiled brightly, "We have to follow tradition. Queen America, may we hear your advice for the next Selected girls?"

"Of course," Queen America's smile was absolutely breathtaking. She was the one we wanted to strive to be, "During this Selection, you will not only gain the friendship or even love from my son, but the girls you will meet during this competition will be life long friends. So, help each other when you can because the Prince will choose who he loves no matter what you do."

"That was truly inspiring Queen America, thank you." The two smiled politely at one another before Garvill turned to the Camera.

"Okay, people of Illéa you know how this works!" The entire Royal family was nearly giddy, "Now Prince Sebastian hasn't seen these young girls yet and we are dying to see his reaction. So let's jump right in!"

The first picture came onto the screen, there was a little box in the stop right-hand corner of the screen to show Prince Sebastian's reaction to The Selected.

"Miss Catelynn Sherwood of Paloma." She was beautiful. Her dark hair being brought to life by the color of her light brown eyes. Sebastian grinned.

"Miss Addison Petrova of Waverly." She was just as beautiful as Catelynn, my hopes sank.

"Miss Sofia Buchanan of California." My heart stopped. I was picked for the Selection! My Aunt screamed in joy. She began ordering me around and getting things ready for my departure and she didn't stop until I left two days later.

My aunt practically threw my stuff into the vehicle that the selected had to ride in. Not even a hug or goodbye she just pushed into the car and walked away. She just knows how to show the love. I really only wanted to do this for my mother, she would have been so happy that I was a Selected. So, I left, nearly unaffected by my aunt's cold-hearted actions. The only person I said goodbye to was my uncle and after a comforting hug and I got into the car and

nervously made my way to the airport.

I was met at the airport with my palace guide, Jessica. At her side was another girl who I assumed was a Selected like me.

"And you are?" The girl said in a snotty tone.

"Sofia Buchanan, nice to meet you. You are?"

"I'm Catelynn but you can just call me queen." She grinned and began to walk away. I followed behind her, a little shocked. Queen America made this sound like more of a friendly competition. I could see now that I was sadly mistaken. I boarded the plane behind Catelynn and made sure that we were sitting on opposite sides of the plane.

The rest of the girls loaded on and we took off. The girl sitting next to me, I remembered seeing on the Capital Report before my name was called. It was Addison Petrova. She glanced over at me, looking me up and down like she was deciding whether or not I was worth the trouble.

"You were the girl called after me right?" She asked, her voice sounding a sickly sweet. "You are Sofia Buchanan?"

I smiled brightly. At least she was acting nice, "Yes, I'm from Carolina."

"Oh, I remember." She chuckled, "Who did your intake at your house?"

"Just a palace guard," I shrugged, "Went by the name Ledger, I think."

She sighed and shook her head. "I met with a guard too. I heard him on the phone with another guard. Apparently, there has been some unrest at the castle and Queen America has been threatened."

My heart stopped. "You don't think they would go through with The Selection if it wasn't safe?"

"When Queen America was having her selection there were rebel attacks almost every week. One of the Elite was even killed."

"That's scary." I was without words. Did all of these girls know about this? Were we just expected to be okay with this?

"Don't worry that's what the guards are for." Addison tried to reassure me but it wasn't working.

"A lot of good they did for the dead Elite," I whispered.

A felt a hand on my own and looked up at Addison who was giving me a small smile. "The world is a dangerous place, Sofia. There will always be people who are unhappy with their situation and feel the need to lash out violently. It's up to everyone else to act with courage and live on or the bad guys win."

I gave her an understanding nod but she didn't move her hand. We held tightly to one another until the plane landed. We were officially at the palace, competing for the heart of the prince.

I didn't know whether or not to be excited, we had to meet with the royal family but couldn't meet Sebastian until tomorrow to make it a formal meeting. The King and Queen were waiting for us when we arrived.

"Hello, ladies." King Maxon greeted with a bright smile. "I know this all seems like a lot to process right now so we would like to get you settled in right away. Queen America, would like to say a few words before the guards take you to your rooms."

Queen America stepped forward. Her motherly smile bringing me comfort. "Welcome, Selected. Now I've made a few changes since my time in the Selection to make the transition more comfortable." She sighed and glanced at her husband who gave her a nod. "However tradition must be upheld. So any changes that must be made will happen now happen in the comfort of your rooms and not in front of one another." What did that even mean? "You will need to be taped for this week's Capital Report. That will happen after your original meeting with the prince. If you have any questions please ask your maids or even me when we are in the Woman's room." Much to my relief, I wasn't the only one that looked confused. The other girls were whispering to one another and shrugging. "Okay, ladies. The guards will take you to your rooms. Remember that the third floor is the royal suits and is completely off limits to the Selected." We all curtsied as the two left the room.

When I entered the room I was surprised to see three women waiting for me.

"Lady Sofia, we are your maids." I paused to watch them as they waited for an answer from me. "Lady Sofia? Are you feeling well?"

After a moment I realized that I was gaping, "Ah, yes. Thank you. Just surprised."

"It's quite fine. We are here to get you ready for the dinner."

I was taken back once more and realized that I didn't even know their names, "Your names are?"

The girl who had been standing in back stepped forward and introduced herself as Maria, The one with blonde hair introduced herself as Elizabeth and the girl who had been speaking to me introduced herself as Annabell. "Shall we get you ready, my lady?"

"Yes, let's move on with the process."

"What color dress would you like?"

I thought about it and decided that the blue I wear to the pictures would be best. "Dark blue," I answered and they began to dig in the wardrobe. They found a beautiful high-low, dark blue, and gold dress for me to wear. I paired it would golden heels and I tried it on. Surprising it fit me perfectly.

"Ah, Lady Sofia, you look amazing. Go win that prince over." Maria said with a bright smile on her face. "Oh wait! We must change something along your looks."

"Uh, what do you mean?"

"Like your hair color or something along those lines!" I was immediately confused. Why did I have to change something? I loved my hair. It had taken me years to get it to fall at my hips.

"I don't want it cut." I whispered, "So, what do you suggest?"

"Maybe some color?" Elizabeth chirped. "How about the end maybe a light brown! It will mix so well with your black hair!" I gave them a small nod of consent and the three of them pulled me into a chair near my sink.

The process didn't take as long as I thought it would. Thirty minutes later, my thick curly flowed into a light brown. I smiled at the small change, glad that I wasn't going to those myself during this competition.

My maids all gave me bright smiles. Annabell stepped forward, adjusting my dress slightly. "Are you ready?" She asked.

"No, but I'm good at pretending." I smiled with sadness.

"You'll do wonderful!" Maria chirped. Maria, who seemed to be Head Maid, ordered Elizabeth to lead me to the dining room. On my way down the never ending hallway, I was a little shocked that I wasn't running into any of the other girls. Was I running late?

"Elizabeth, am I running late?" I whispered, clearly horrified.

"No, Lady Sofia." She answered with a reassuring smile. "The Queen asked everyone to be down early. I'm guessing you are the first one."

"And the Prince? Will he be at dinner?"

"No, he won't." She sighed. "The Queen has made a lot of changes to the Selection M'lady but tradition is still important to her. The Prince is taking dinner in his room tonight. He will meet everyone officially tomorrow."

"Thank you, Elizabeth." I tried not to let my disappointment show. My impatience was about to hit an all-time high. I just wanted meet Sebastian already.

"Of course, Miss." She curtsied. "The dining hall is just around the corner at the end of the hall. I should get back to the others. We have to get your dressed finished for tomorrow."

"Oh yes, please go." As soon as she was out of sight I turned the corner and with the horrible luck that I have. I promptly collided into someone. I immediately slammed my eyes shut in fear, and the clattering of a metal plate could be heard as it fell to the ground. Strong arms wrapped around my waist to steady me and I slowly opened my eyes.

The first thing I see is honey-blonde hair that was shocking similar to King Maxon's and beautiful green eyes that also belonged Queen America. My eyes finally fell to the royal emblem on his shirt.

I quickly pulled away from him and fell into a curtsey. "I'm so sorry Prince Sebastian." My heart was banging in my chest. I've run into the prince.

"No please," He stuttered, pulling me up from my curtsey. "It was my fault. I was too busy stuffing my face. I wasn't paying attention."

"Oh no, I've wrecked your dinner." I squeaked, "What a horrible first impression."

Sebastian's eyes widened in shock, "Y-You're part of the Selection? I knew you looked familiar."

I winced knowing that we were breaking tradition, "I'm Sof-"

"Lady Sofia Buchanan of California." He recites, "I remember."

The Prince continued to stare at me. Making me feel a little uncomfortable. "Your Majesty?" I whispered.

He blinked. "Right, well you should get to dinner and I should call a maid to clean up this mess." I looked down at his plate on the floor. The contents of his plate had only consisted of bread, chicken, salad, and strawberry tart. He was a simple eater, like me.

"They are just simple things, your majesty." I was resisting the urge to scoff. "Nothing really to clean. Should be easy to clean up on your own. I can help if you want."

He shook his head, slightly baffled by words. "There is no need Lady Sofia. It's their job." I wanted to roll my eyes at him. Of course, he was a Prince. He got to live in the Castle his whole life. He never had to work for anything.

"You mean the maids who are scrambling to get everything ready for all thirty-five girls that are here for your Selection." I snapped, "No offense your majesty, but it won't kill you to clean up after yourself." I stomped away from him, making my way into the dining hall.

When I got inside I felt the heat rise into my cheeks. I'd just yelled at the future King of Illéa. There was no way that he wasn't sending me home now.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

I was nervous when I woke the next morning. It was the morning we were meeting the prince, officially anyway. My girls came in two hours before the meeting to get me ready. Annabelle got right to work on my hair while Elizabeth did my makeup. Maria put the final touches on my dress when Maria pulled the dress out for me to try on, it was gorgeous. The red material was dark but not too dark to the point to be black. The dressing cover in gold beads making swirling patterns from the strapless top to my waist. The shirt flowed out being held by beads to make ruffles to the ground.

I made my way to the women's room. If I was nearly late. Knowing that I would have to sit at the end of the table and speak privately with the prince last. I walked in ignoring the looks of the rest of the girls. I took my seat, which was next to a blonde with startlingly blue eyes.

"I'm Sofia." I offered her my hand.

"Freya." She shook it, once, gently. "Have you met Maryse? She going to be our etiquette teacher. Mother's says she also teaches the Princes and Princess." I looked over at Freya. Her eyes were twinkling with delight. She looked liked like a child on Christmas. She was the first girl that I've seen, other than Addison, that didn't have that look in their eye. The one that makes me fear this entire Selection. The look of an ulterior motive, of a woman with a plan and one that wasn't for the prince's heart.

The door's opened and woman walked in. She was African American and her curly hair was pulled into a sleek ponytail. She wore a pencil skirt, red blouse, and a black suit jacket. "Ladies, today you will meet the prince. He will walk up to each of you. Offer you his hands. You take it, stand, and curtsey. You will address him as 'your majesty' until told otherwise." Of course, everything will have to be formal. "After today the women's room will be off limits to all men including the King and Princes unless they get permission from Queen America herself. This room is your Safe Haven." A knock sounded at the door. "Good luck ladies."

The door opened and the all too familiar blonde hair and green eyes strolled in. His green eyes scanned the room. He stopped briefly on each girl, taking in their appearance. His eyes stopped on me and he smirked slightly.

"Good morning ladies. I know that you all must be overwhelmed from the past few days So, I will make this quick. I look forward to meeting all of you. Please feel free to talk amongst yourselves." He was like a completely different person than the one I ran into last night. This man was poised, collected, and way too formal. He walked forward and offered his hand to Catelynn and of course, she handled it perfectly.

I turned to look a Freya who was fidgeting nervously. "I'm sure you'll do fine Freya."

"I heard Princess Ophelia talking to the Queen last night." Freya whispered to me, "It's tradition that the Prince send ten of us home at the end of today's meeting." My stomach dropped. I watched as he laughed and shook hands with each girl until finally, he got to my seat. I took his hand and did a small curtsey.

"Your Majesty," I whispered. He walked me over to the couch on the other side of the room.

"Lady Sofia." The Prince grinned. We were sitting together on the couch. His hand was still holding mine tightly.

"Then call me Sebastian." I nodded.

"Sebastian, I'm so sorry about last night."

"No, please don't be," he whispered. "I was quite surprised, I'll admit. However, it was refreshing to hear. It gives me hope for the women in this selection."

"Thank you, Sebastian." He lifted my hand it his lips and pulled me to my feet.

"I mustn't keep you longer than the other girls." I curtseyed.

He walked me back to my seat. "I'll see you later, Sebastian." With a polite nod, he moved to the doors.

"It was a pleasure to meet all of you. I will be reaching out to you all as the dates will begin. I will also begin eating meals in the dining hall. For those of you who I asked to stay, please stay seated as for the rest of you, please give us the room." I stood with the majority of the girls and we walked out of the room. Freya remained seated.

I found Addison in the hallway and pulled her into a hug. She had a huge smile on her face. "We did it, Addison," I whispered in excitement, but it quickly faded.

We may have made it through but Freya was going home.

In an hour, we went from thirty-five girls to twenty-four.

Thankfully I didn't have to change for dinner. Which meant I have time for myself. I found myself walking the gardens. I found a path between two tall brushes that, after an hour of walking, lead to a small pond. I took a seat next to the water and pulled my knees up to my chest in a very unladylike manner. Maryse would kill me.

This whole thing hadn't been what I thought it would be. The first week after I was selected the Motel was slammed with people trying to congratulate me. It wasn't until the palace representative showed up with the paperwork that it became real. They asked me personal questions about my virginity, about my previous love life, and even made me sign a contract saying that I would only see the Prince.

During the whole thing, I could think about was my parents. How overjoyed my mother would be that I got selected and how she would have scolded me for talking to the Prince the way I did. My father would have been outraged by the questions they asked me but would have let it slide so that his temper didn't ruin my opportunity with the prince. Tears sprang to my eyes. Whenever I thought about them, I still cried.

"I should have known that with so many girls I would lose my hiding spot." I quickly got to my feet and curtsied. "I'm so sorry King Maxon. I can go."

"No, Please." He stepped forward and came to stand next to me. "I haven't gotten the chance to meet any of the Selected yet. May I join you?" I nodded and wiped the fallen tears from my eyes.

"Of course your majesty," I whispered.

"Oh no," He chuckled. "Please, in personal settings it's alway Maxon." He looked at me, probably noticing my tears. "Are you alright, Sofia?" He whispered, putting a fatherly hand on my shoulder and awkwardly patting me. "I'm sorry, I've never been much help with crying girls."

"I'm sorry, your majesty." I sniffled, pulling myself together. "I was just thinking about my parents."

"You must miss them dearly," He agreed. "My wife was the same when she arrived. Have you written them yet?"

I shook my head ignoring the lump in my throat. "My parents were killed in uprisings after the Caste systems were dissolved, sir."

Maxon stiffened and sucked in a breath. His hand on my shoulder tightened. "Sofia, I'm so sorry."

"No, please." I choked. I couldn't bare to hear him apologize for ending the Caste System. It was the right move for the kingdom. A violent transition was bound to happen. "You made the right decision for Illéa, Maxon. Sacrifices had to be made for the good of the country. My parents tried to prepare for the rebellion of the upper castes and they managed to save my life."

"You are already thinking like a royal, Lady Sofia." Maxon pulled me into a fatherly hug. When he pulled away and looked out over the pond. "My parents were killed in an attack during my choosing ceremony. I must say, giving their death meaning helps Sofia. I'm very glad you did so."

"Thank you, Maxon." We stood in comfortable silence for a few minutes. My heels began to sink into the ground and I lost my balance. The King grabbed onto my arm, right where my Aunt had, and I cried out. The bruise had mostly faded. However, the next morning I notice small cuts where her nails had dug into my arm. "Sofia?" He sounded horrified.

"I'm fine. Thank you, your majesty." Maxon clearly wasn't happy with my response.

"You're injured." I looked towards the ground and moved away from him. "Someone did this to you?" I nodded. "D-did my s-son-"

"Oh god no," I jumped in. I looked up at him, startled. "He would never." I paused knowing that I needed to give him an explanation. "My Aunt and Uncle took me in. My Aunt Mary see's a lot of my mom in me. She's angry that her sister got taken away from her and she was left with me. She can react violently sometimes."

"How bad has it gotten?" He voice was hard and his hands are clenched into fists.

"Very," I felt comfortable talking to him about this. "I've had to pick up some medical experience in order to tend to my injuries sometimes."

"If this doesn't work out between you and my son." He paused shaking his head. As if the idea didn't seem plausible. "I will find a safe place for you to stay. You will not go back there."

I looked up at Maxon, a little in shock. This wasn't a King speaking about his subjects but a father. A father who was seeing a hurt child in need of help. It was the first time I've seen Maxon Schreave as a person and not just a political figure leading Illéa.

By the time I got back to Castle the girls were in a scramble there were all whispering and running around the women's room. Catelynn's maids were in the room with her, tugging on her dress as she screamed and swatted at them. I found Addison sitting in the corner of the room with a short brunette, Audrey I think her name is.

"What's going on?" I asked. Sitting next to Audrey.

"Apparently the Queen's family is going to be at dinner," Audrey whispered to me.

My mouth dropped open. "It's our first actual dinner with the entire royal family. Isn't it a little soon for the extended family to show up?"

"They came to check on the Queen," Addison whispered. "I've heard that she was the target of the last rebel attack."

"The Queen?" I questioned, "Why would they be after Queen."

"Probably to hurt the King," Audrey said. "It's hard to rule as a single parent and a with broken heart."

The doors opened and Maryse strolled in clapping her hands. "Let's go ladies! You need to be seated before the Royal family arrives!" Audrey, Addison, and I got to our feet. We were the first ones out of the room because the girls were still fussing over their dresses and makeup. The dining hall was huge, but it had also changed. There were rows of tables connected to benches. There was a rather large stage that wrapped around the room. The head table, for the royal family, sat opposite of the doors. Connected to it were the tables on the stage, on either side of the room. They are for the Selected.

Being the first ones into the room we got to choose our seats. We sat at the table closest to the royal family. In fact, our table connected to theirs. Addison sat next to me and next to her was Audrey. Whoever was going to sit at my right would be a member of the royal family.

Soon after all of the selected were seated the royal began to file in. Queen America and her family first then King Maxon and the princes and princesses. We all stood and curtsied before returning to our seats. The King and Queen were the only two who remained standing. King Maxon grabbed his glass and held it out in front of him.

"Family, friends, and Selected. Welcome to court." He looked over at his wife who gave him a bright smile. "I'm going to make this short because quite frankly I don't want to handle a bunch of women who are hungry. Having been through a Selection myself I know how difficult this can be. Ladies, keep in mind that Prince Sebastian is my son so he is going to mess up...A lot." Queen America chuckled but didn't interrupt. "With that said to be patient with him and he will treat everyone fairly."

"To the Selection." Queen America called raising her glass. We all followed her lead murmuring our own thanks to the Selection.

The maids brought out the food and everyone began to eat. I looked around the room to see who was all here and noticed that Princess Ophelia was not sitting. The spot next to me open and empty. I assumed that she was taking her dinner in her room. However, when Prince Mathew leaned over to Princess Addilynn and whispered, "Where's Ophelia?" I knew that wasn't the case. This remained the case throughout dinner. Princess Ophelia didn't show and the royal family continued to share worried glances.

Dinner was uneventful. The selected girls whispered among themselves as did the royal family. Prince Sebastian stayed quiet the entire dinner, looking from girl to girl. He seemed overwhelmed and I didn't blame him. Two hours after entering the dining hall, we were dismissed for the night. I made my way the doors and into the gardens.

Prince Sebastian wasn't the only person overwhelmed by all of this. We have been here less than a week and we were already down eleven girls. The Prince means business and there is no room for mistakes.

I wasn't sure how long I had been walking before I heard a thump and a muffled cry. I ran forward, following the cry. Princess Ophelia was laying on the ground, under a tree, holding her arm. The tree looked like one of the tallest on the grounds. It reached well over the gates of the castle. Was she trying to escape?

"Princess Ophelia?" I dropped down next to her on the ground. She was whimpering slightly, holding her left arm. "We have to get you to the infirmary."

"No!" She yelled. "If you take me to the infirmary the press will know about it within the hour. Take me to my father, he can handle this."

Listening to her request, I helped her up trying not to touch her injury and moved her to King Maxon's office. As we got to the office, I reached to knock, "Really? Just open it." Princess Ophelia said behind me. I turned the doorknob and pushed the doors open. The office was empty, "Shoot. Help me to the chair." Just as I helped Princess Ophelia sit down as the castle alarms went off.

"What is that?" My voice shaking.

"Lady Sofia, we have to hide. Help me."

"What's going on?"

Princess Ophelia stopped and turned to me with the most serious face, "We're under attack. Now move. There should be a hiding place over here." She began to move but was too tired and injured. The doors to the office opened, running in was the King and Queen.

"Lady Sofia? Ophelia? What is-" Queen America began but the another alarm cut her off. "Never mind. Ladies, hide."

King Maxon and Queen America hid in the same spot after they pulled Princess Ophelia and me into a small closet. The four of us were pressed together in the small closet when we heard the door click. Ophelia let out a whimper and I began to shake. Queen America put her hand over her daughter's mouth, holding her tightly in her arms. King Maxon put his hands on my shoulders but it didn't help the shaking. The footsteps got closer to the closet and tears sprang to my eyes. I didn't want to die here.

"Sir," a deep voice called. "We have to go, now. The guards already have most of the castle back into their control."

"Did we get the King?" The man outside the closet asked. "Or the Queen?"

"No, sir. But we got one of the Selected." At his words, tears started to stream out of my eyes. My entire body was wracked with sobs, but I still didn't make a noise.

"That will have to do for now." The man near the closet said. After what felt like years, the doors finally clicked shut. King Maxon opened the closet door and I flung myself out and onto the floor. Finally sobbing out loud. It wasn't just the queen these people were after. It was anyone in the castle. They are willing to kill everyone and for a moment a thought crossed my mind: Was this worth it? Was staying here, and trying to love the Prince, worth my life?

As soon as we left the office we knew exactly who the attackers had killed. The guards informed the King and Queen the moment they saw them. Ophelia went to the infirmary. She told King Maxon and Queen America that she had broken it during the attack. I wasn't in the condition to argue so I kept my mouth shut.

The castle was a mess. There were dead guards and rebels on the ground and blood on the walls. Maids were running around, trying to get the mess cleaned up. I walked alone down the hallway. Queen America told me that the Selected were supposed to meet in the Women's room. There we would be addressed by the Prince after he visited his sister in the infirmary.

Most of the girls were already in the Women's room. Addison was sitting alone on the couch with her knees pulled up to her chest. I quickly walked over to her and pulled her legs away from her face. Her chest was covered in blood.

"Addison, whose blood-?"

"Audrey, it's Audrey's." She choked out. "I was there. I dragged her to safety but she was already gone." I blinked back the tears in my eyes and pulled my best friend into my arms. She didn't cry, neither of us did. We just took comfort in being next to one another.

The doors swung open and the Prince came in. He looked unharmed. "Ladies, I am deeply sorry that we did not prepare you for this night." He sucked in a breath, "and I am terribly so for the loss of Lady Audrey. I will warn you all now that this will not be the last attack on the castle. More will come and more people will be lost. I will not keep any of you here against your will. If you wish to go home please raise your hand and remain seated. The rest of you please go get some rest. Tomorrow begins a new day."

Six girls raised their hands. We were down to eighteen.

Eighteen girls and the Prince had yet to be on one date.


End file.
